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CPB ALERT FOR PNW

A new potato alert was posted to PNWPestAlert.net. The following information was provided by Dr. Mike Thornton, Potato Specialist at the UI Parma R and E Center.

"The mild winter means that plenty of volunteer plants are starting to emerge in fields that were in potatoes last year. These volunteers can allow many potato disease and insect problems to get started before moving into nearby commercial fields. Specifically, I have seen a few adult Colorado potato beetles (CPB) feeding on emerged volunteers. These adults don't usually cause a lot of damage, but will be laying eggs very soon. The first generation of CPB that hatches from these eggs can be very damaging in fields that have not been treated with a systemic insecticide at planting, and these fields should be scouted after emergence."